Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "We Will Actively Support Seniors' Vibrant Retirement Life"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced that he will actively support the vibrant senior life of the elderly.

According to Gwangju Metropolitan City on the 12th, Mayor Lee held a meeting with welfare center directors belonging to the Korea Senior Welfare Center Association Gwangju Branch at Dong-gu Senior Welfare Center and listened to their difficulties.

This meeting was the first event of the Special Week for the Elderly to Overcome COVID-19 (July 12-15), organized to hear the on-site voices of seniors facing difficulties due to reduced welfare center operations and user restrictions following social distancing measures.

The meeting was attended by six district senior welfare center directors, including Lee Jong-seok, director of Dong-gu Senior Welfare Center, and the director of the municipal Gwangju Park Senior Welfare Center, who shared the current status of welfare center operations according to quarantine guidelines.

They expressed difficulties in operation due to the increasing number of welfare center users.

Currently, senior welfare centers have been converted to local transfer facilities since 2005, and operating expenses are borne according to the financial conditions of each autonomous district.

Accordingly, Gwangju City supports 1 billion KRW annually for operating expenses, program operation costs, and special allowances for workers, and continuously reinforces the functions of aging facilities.

Mayor Lee said, “Senior welfare centers play a significant role in allowing the elderly to experience social life and improve their quality of life,” adding, “We will actively develop non-face-to-face programs to ensure that services are not interrupted during the COVID-19 situation.”

On the same day, Mayor Lee met with seniors at the Dong-gu Seyeon Senior Citizens' Center and had a conversation. In particular, he checked whether the elderly had any inconveniences using the senior citizens' center and reviewed measures against heatwaves and the rainy season.

The mayor said, “There may be inconveniences in using the senior citizens' centers due to COVID-19, but I ask the elderly to strictly follow quarantine rules for their health,” and added, “We will prepare and implement support programs so that senior citizens' centers become places for neighbors and residents to communicate within the community.”

Finally, Mayor Lee visited a long-term care institution for the elderly, held a meeting with officials, and reviewed the operational status.

At this meeting, the long-term care institution for the elderly suggested improvements to the working environment of employees.

The mayor said, “Long-term care institutions for the elderly provide services such as physical activities and household support to seniors who have difficulty performing daily activities alone, playing a role in stabilizing their later life and reducing the burden on families,” and added, “We will continue to actively support seniors so that they can use the institutions and lead healthy and vibrant later lives.”

On the 13th, Mayor Lee plans to visit the Senior Club Education Center in Seo-gu and the market-type job site to listen to the voices of seniors participating in senior jobs.